U.S. patent application number 12/111784 was filed with the patent office on 2009-05-07 for product ecological and/or environmental rating system and method.
This patent application is currently assigned to NIKE, Inc.. Invention is credited to Bryant T. Bainbridge, Phillip S. Berry, Eraina Duffy, Katie L. Grew, William J. Malloch, Vanessa H. Margolis, Shelley Zimmer.
Application Number | 20090119023 12/111784 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39944192 |
Filed Date | 2009-05-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090119023 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Zimmer; Shelley ; et
al. |
May 7, 2009 |
Product Ecological and/or Environmental Rating System and
Method
Abstract
Ecologically and/or environmentally conscious consumers and/or
product manufacturers can "grade" the ecological and/or
environmental character of products and/or their manufacturing
methods. This grading may include one or more of: determining a
type or amount of toxic material used in making the product and
assigning a toxic consumption value for the product; determining a
type or amount of waste created in making the product and assigning
a waste production value for the product; determining a type or
amount of environmentally preferred materials used in making the
product and assigning a material value for the product; and
determining an extent to which the product or its manufacturing
methods provide an ecological or environmental advance over
existing products or manufacturing methods and assigning an
advancement value for the product. The final product grade then may
be determined based on the assigned value or values.
Inventors: |
Zimmer; Shelley; (Boise,
ID) ; Berry; Phillip S.; (Brooks, OR) ; Duffy;
Eraina; (Aurora, OR) ; Grew; Katie L.;
(Portland, OR) ; Margolis; Vanessa H.; (Beaverton,
OR) ; Bainbridge; Bryant T.; (Portland, OR) ;
Malloch; William J.; (Portland, OR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BANNER & WITCOFF, LTD.
1100 13th STREET, N.W., SUITE 1200
WASHINGTON
DC
20005-4051
US
|
Assignee: |
NIKE, Inc.
Beaverton
OR
|
Family ID: |
39944192 |
Appl. No.: |
12/111784 |
Filed: |
April 29, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60915483 |
May 2, 2007 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
702/22 ;
700/103 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
702/22 ;
700/103 |
International
Class: |
G01N 31/00 20060101
G01N031/00; G06F 19/00 20060101 G06F019/00 |
Claims
1. A method of grading a product, comprising: determining at least
one of a type or amount of toxic material used in making the
product; assigning a toxic consumption value for the product based
on the determined type or amount of toxic material; determining at
least one of a type or amount of waste created in making the
product; assigning a waste production value for the product based
on the type or amount of waste; determining at least one of a type
or amount of environmentally preferred materials used in making the
product; assigning a material value for the product based on the
type or amount of environmentally preferred materials; determining
an extent to which the product or its manufacturing methods provide
an advance over existing products or manufacturing methods;
assigning an advancement value for the product based on the
determined extent; and determining a product grade based on the
assigned toxic consumption value, waste production value, material
value, and advancement value.
2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising: marking the
product grade on the product or packaging for the product.
3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising: applying a
tag to the product, wherein the tag includes the product grade
indicated thereon.
4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the product is
footwear.
5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the product is
apparel.
6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the product is sports
equipment.
7. A computer-readable medium including computer-readable
instructions stored thereon for performing the method of claim
1.
8. A method of grading a product, comprising: receiving input
indicating at least one of a type or amount of toxic material used
in making the product; receiving input indicating at least one of a
type or amount of waste created in making the product; receiving
input indicating at least one of a type or amount of
environmentally preferred materials used in making the product;
receiving input indicating an extent to which the product or its
manufacturing methods provide an advance over existing products or
manufacturing methods; determining a product grade based, at least
in part, on the received inputs.
9. A method according to claim 8, further comprising: marking the
product grade on the product or packaging for the product.
10. A method according to claim 8, further comprising: applying a
tag to the product, wherein the tag includes the product grade
indicated thereon.
11. A method according to claim 8, wherein the product is
footwear.
12. A method according to claim 8, wherein the product is
apparel.
13. A method according to claim 8, wherein the product is sports
equipment.
14. A computer-readable medium including computer-readable
instructions stored thereon for performing the method of claim
8.
15. A method of grading a product, comprising: determining plural
product sub-scores, wherein the sub-scores are based, at least in
part, on at least two members selected from the group consisting
of: a type of toxic material used in making the product, an amount
of toxic material used in making the product, a type of waste
created in making the product, an amount of waste created in making
the product, a type of environmentally preferred material used in
making the product, an amount of environmentally preferred
materials used in making the product, and an extent to which the
product or its manufacturing methods provide an advance over
existing products or manufacturing methods; and determining a
product grade based, at least in part, on the product
sub-scores.
16. A method according to claim 15, further comprising: marking the
product grade on the product or packaging for the product.
17. A method according to claim 15, further comprising: applying a
tag to the product, wherein the tag includes the product grade
indicated thereon.
18. A method according to claim 15, wherein the product is
footwear.
19. A method according to claim 15, wherein the product is
apparel.
20. A method according to claim 15, wherein the product is sports
equipment.
21. A method according to claim 15, further comprising: receiving
one or more inputs relating to at least one member selected from
the group consisting of: the type of toxic material used in making
the product, the amount of toxic material used in making the
product, the type of waste created in making the product, the
amount of waste created in making the product, the type of
environmentally preferred materials used in making the product, the
amount of environmentally preferred materials used in making the
product, and the extent to which the product or its manufacturing
methods provide an advance over existing products or manufacturing
methods, wherein the inputs are used in determining the product
sub-scores.
22. A computer-readable medium including computer-readable
instructions stored thereon for performing the method of claim
21.
23. A computer-readable medium including computer-readable
instructions stored thereon for performing the method of claim
15.
24. A method of producing a product, comprising: determining an
initial product grade for an initial product made using a first
product manufacturing process, wherein the product grade provides a
measure of environmental or ecological aspects of the initial
product or the first manufacturing process, and wherein the initial
product grade is based, at least in part, on at least two members
selected from the group consisting of: a type of toxic material
used in making the product, an amount of toxic material used in
making the product, a type of waste created in making the product,
an amount of waste created in making the product, a type of
environmentally preferred materials used in making the product, an
amount of environmentally preferred materials used in making the
product, and an extent to which the product or its manufacturing
methods provide an advance over existing products or manufacturing
methods; changing at least one aspect of the first product or the
first manufacturing process to improve the environmental or
ecological aspects; and making a final product using the changed
aspect of the product or its manufacturing process, wherein the
final product has an improved product grade as compared to the
initial product grade.
25. A method according to claim 24, further comprising: marking the
improved product grade on the product or packaging for the
product.
26. A method according to claim 24, further comprising: applying a
tag to the product, wherein the tag includes the improved product
grade indicated thereon.
27. A method according to claim 24, wherein the product is
footwear.
28. A method according to claim 24, wherein the product is
apparel.
29. A method according to claim 24, wherein the product is sports
equipment.
30. A product grading system, comprising: an input system for
receiving input indicating one or more of: (a) a type or amount of
toxic material used in making the product, (b) a type or amount of
waste created in making the product, (c) a type or amount of
environmentally preferred materials used in making the product, and
(d) an extent to which the product or its manufacturing methods
provide an advance over existing products or manufacturing methods;
and a processing system programmed and adapted to assign one or
more of: (a) a toxic consumption value for the product based on the
type or amount of toxic material, (b) a waste production value for
the product based on the type or amount of waste, (c) a material
value for the product based on the type or amount of
environmentally preferred materials, (d) assign an advancement
value for the product based on the determined extent, and wherein
the processing system is further programmed and adapted to (e)
determine a product grade based on the assigned value or
values.
31. A system according to claim 30, further comprising: an output
system for marking the product grade on the product or packaging
for the product.
32. A system according to claim 30, wherein the output system
produces the product grade on the product.
33. A system according to claim 30, wherein the output system
produces the product grade on packaging material for the
product.
34. A system according to claim 30, wherein the output system
produces the product grade on a tag for inclusion with the
product.
35. A system according to claim 30, wherein the product is
footwear.
36. A system according to claim 30, wherein the product is
apparel.
37. A system according to claim 30, wherein the product is sports
equipment.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION DATA
[0001] This application claims priority benefits based on U.S.
Provisional Patent Application No. 60/915,483 entitled "Product
Ecological and/or Environmental Rating System and Method," filed
May 2, 2007. This priority application is entirely incorporated
herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates generally to grading systems and
methods for evaluating and ranking consumer products based on their
ecological and/or environmental impact. The invention provides a
metric that enhances the ability of ecologically and/or
environmentally conscious corporate citizens and consumers to
design, rate, evaluate and/or compare products with an eye toward
ecological and/or environmental issues.
BACKGROUND
[0003] As the world population grows and technological advances are
made, the demand for consumer goods of all types grows with it. The
business world strives to meet this demand by providing a wide
variety of consumer goods into the market for purchase.
[0004] The manufacture and marketing of consumer goods consumes
natural resources in several ways. First of all, resources are
included (and consumed) as part of the physical end product that is
marketed to the consumer. Additionally, resources are consumed in
the manufacture of many products, e.g., as chemicals, energy,
and/or other raw materials or resources necessary to run the
manufacturing plant and to produce the product. Further, resources
may be consumed in cleaning up, storing, and/or otherwise handling
waste and other by-products from the production processes.
Carelessness, manufacturing inefficiencies, production errors,
and/or other wastefulness can consume more natural resources than
really would be necessary to produce the desired products.
Moreover, some production processes utilize substantial amounts of
toxic materials, such as solvents, whose later disposal can be
difficult and/or expensive to handle and/or can cause environmental
and/or health issues.
[0005] Many corporations and consumers care greatly about
ecological and/or environmental issues and, when possible, they
will take substantial steps to avoid adding to the earth's
ecological and environmental problems, even if these steps will
somewhat increase production and/or product costs. The advertising
for many products touts their "environmentally friendliness" or
"green" character. Unfortunately, for most consumer products, there
is no easy way for manufacturers to distinguish the ecological
and/or environmental impact of their products (and the
manufacturing processes therefor) from competitor's products.
Moreover, for most consumer products, there is no easy way for
consumers to evaluate and compare one company's products against
another, at least in terms of the ecological and/or environmental
impact of production of one company's products as compared to
another.
SUMMARY
[0006] The present invention addresses some of the problems and
issues identified above. The following text presents a general
summary of aspects of the present invention in order to provide a
basic understanding of the invention and various features of it.
This summary is not intended to limit the scope of the invention in
any way, but it simply provides a general overview and context for
the more detailed description of the invention that follows.
[0007] In general, aspects of this invention provide ways for
consumers, product manufacturers, and others to consistently
evaluate, rank, and compare the ecological and/or environmental
character of products and/or their manufacturing methods. In
accordance with at least some examples of this invention, a method
of grading the environmental/ecological character of a product may
include: determining a type or amount of toxic material used in
making the product; assigning a toxic consumption value for the
product based on the determined type or amount of toxic material;
determining a type or amount of waste created in making the
product; assigning a waste production value for the product based
on the type or amount of waste; determining a type or amount of
environmentally preferred materials used in making the product;
assigning a material value for the product based on the type or
amount of environmentally preferred materials; determining an
extent to which the product or its manufacturing methods provide an
advance over similar conventional or existing products and
manufacturing methods; assigning an advancement value for the
product based on the determined advance extent; and determining a
product grade, at least in part, based on the assigned toxic
consumption value, waste production value, material value, and
advancement value. The "determining" steps may involve physical
measurements (such as detecting, sensing, or measuring the types or
amounts of various materials included in or used in manufacture of
the product), and/or they may involve receiving input from an
external source.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] A more complete understanding of the present invention and
certain advantages thereof may be acquired by referring to the
following detailed description in consideration with the
accompanying drawings, in which:
[0009] FIG. 1 illustrates a general diagram of a computer system
that may be used in conjunction with various aspects of this
invention;
[0010] FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate potentially improved ecological
and/or environmental results achieved when using grading systems in
accordance with an example of this invention;
[0011] FIG. 3 illustrates categorization and grading of products in
accordance with this invention under "gold," "silver," and "bronze"
characterizations;
[0012] FIG. 4 illustrates an example of Product Chemistry Parameter
Scoring used in grading systems and methods in accordance with at
least some examples of this invention;
[0013] FIG. 5 illustrates an example Solvent Worksheet that may be
used in evaluating solvent presence and content in a product
production process in accordance with at least some examples of
this invention;
[0014] FIG. 6 illustrates an example of Waste Parameter Scoring
used in grading systems and methods in accordance with at least
some examples of this invention;
[0015] FIG. 7 illustrates an example of Environmentally Preferred
Material Parameter Scoring used in grading systems and methods in
accordance with at least some examples of this invention;
[0016] FIG. 8 illustrates an example of Innovation Parameter
Scoring used in grading systems and methods in accordance with at
least some examples of this invention; and
[0017] FIG. 9 illustrates an example of Total Product Grade Scoring
used in grading systems in accordance with at least some examples
of this invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
I. General Description of Product Grading Methods and Systems, and
the Use Thereof, According to this Invention
[0018] Aspects of this invention provide ways for consumers,
product manufacturers, and others to consistently evaluate, rank,
and compare the ecological and/or environmental character of
products and/or their manufacturing methods. In accordance with at
least some examples of this invention, methods of grading products
may include: determining a type or amount of toxic material used in
making the product; assigning a "toxic consumption value" for the
product based on the determined type or amount of toxic material;
determining a type or amount of waste created in making the
product; assigning a "waste production value" for the product based
on the type or amount of waste; determining a type or amount of
environmentally preferred materials used in making the product;
assigning a "material value" for the product based on the type or
amount of environmentally preferred materials; determining an
extent to which the product or its manufacturing methods provide an
advance over similar conventional or existing products (e.g., prior
year models, etc.) and/or their manufacturing methods; assigning an
"advancement value" for the product based on the determined extent;
and determining a product grade, at least in part, based on the
assigned toxic consumption value, waste production value, material
value, and advancement value.
[0019] Additional aspects of this invention relate to other
features of product grading methods that may be used according to
at least some examples of this invention. Such features of the
invention may include: (a) receiving input indicating a type or
amount of toxic material used in making the product; (b) receiving
input indicating a type or amount of waste created in making the
product; (c) receiving input indicating a type or amount of
environmentally preferred materials used in making the product; (d)
receiving input indicating an extent to which the product or its
manufacturing methods provide an advance over similar conventional
or existing products and manufacturing methods; and (e) determining
a product grade based, at least in part, on the received
inputs.
[0020] Still additional aspects of this invention relate to methods
of grading products that may include: (a) determining plural
product "sub-scores," wherein the sub-scores are based, at least in
part, on at least two members selected from the group consisting
of: a type of toxic material used in making the product, an amount
of toxic material used in making the product, a type of waste
created in making the product, an amount of waste created in making
the product, a type of environmentally preferred materials used in
making the product, an amount of environmentally preferred
materials used in making the product, and an extent to which the
product or its manufacturing methods provide an advance over
similar conventional or existing products and/or their
manufacturing methods; and (b) determining a product grade based,
at least in part, on the product sub-scores.
[0021] Furthermore, aspects of this invention may include
associating the determined product grade with the product in some
manner, e.g., in a manner that is easily locatable and identifiable
by a consumer, such as by marking the product grade directly on the
product or on packaging for the product; by applying a tag to the
product that includes the product grade indicated thereon; by
including the product grade in advertising, literature, or other
information relating to the product; etc.
[0022] Aspects of this invention may be applied to any desired type
of product without departing from this invention, including any
type of consumer product (e.g., available in retail, wholesale, or
discount stores, etc.). Examples of such products include, but are
not limited to: footwear, apparel, electronic goods, appliances,
jewelry, paper products, food, leather goods, grocery items,
furniture, school/office supplies, automobiles and/or other
vehicles, sporting equipment (such as balls, bags, bats, gloves,
protective equipment, etc.), etc.
[0023] The various methods described above, or at least portions
thereof, may be performed by a computer 100 (see FIG. 1) that is
programmed and adapted to carry out the various steps (e.g.,
programmed and adapted to receive any necessary inputs; programmed
and adapted to obtain or determine the various values or sub-scores
(e.g., by a calculation method, by obtaining the necessary
information from memory 102 or a "look-up" table, by obtaining the
necessary information from detectors or sensors connected to the
computer, by making physical measurements on the product, etc.);
programmed and adapted to obtain or determine the product score
based on the input values and/or the sub-scores (e.g., by a
calculation method, by obtaining the necessary information from
memory 102 or a "look-up" table, by obtaining the necessary
information from detectors or sensors connected to the computer, by
making physical measurements on the product etc.); etc.). Any type
of computer system 100 may be programmed and used to perform some
or all portions of methods according to this invention, including,
for example, personal computers, mainframe computers, handheld
computers, laptops, palmtops, etc. The programs for controlling the
computer 100 to perform the various steps may be stored on any
desired type of computer-readable medium as are known and used in
the art, including computer floppy disks, CDs, DVDs, hard disks,
and/or other memory systems (generally designated as memory 102 in
FIG. 1).
[0024] Product grading systems in accordance with at least some
examples of this invention may include: (1) an input system (e.g.,
system 104 in FIG. 1) for receiving input indicating one or more of
the following: (a) a type and/or amount of toxic material used in
making the product, (b) a type and/or amount of waste created in
making the product, (c) a type and/or amount of environmentally
preferred materials used in making the product, and/or (d) an
extent to which the product and/or its manufacturing methods
provide an advance over similar conventional or existing products
and/or their manufacturing methods; and (2) a processing system
(e.g., system 106 in FIG. 1, including one or more processors)
programmed and adapted to perform one or more of the following
operations: (a) assign a toxic consumption value for the product
based on the type and/or amount of toxic material, (b) assign a
waste production value for the product based on the type and/or
amount of waste, (c) assign a material value for the product based
on the type and/or amount of environmentally preferred materials
used in making the product, and/or (d) assign an advancement value
for the product based on the determined extent by which the product
and/or its manufacturing method provide an advance. The processing
system further may be programmed and adapted to: (e) determine a
product grade based on one or more of the assigned toxic
consumption value, waste production value, material value, and/or
advancement value. Any desired type of input systems may be
provided without departing from this invention, such as one or more
of a keyboard, a mouse, a data connection to a remote device or
network (such as a LAN or WAN connection), an infrared or other
data input port, an input line from a detector or sensor that
measures or detects a characteristic of the product, etc. The
various inputs may be received over different input systems without
departing from this invention.
[0025] Systems in accordance with at least some examples of this
invention further may include an output system (e.g., system 108 in
FIG. 1) for providing the product grade to the user, e.g., a device
for marking the determined product grade on the product or
packaging for the product (e.g., a printer or other marking device
for printing the product grade on the product, its packaging, on a
tag for the product, on advertising literature for the product,
etc.), a display screen, etc. As noted above, conventional computer
systems (e.g., of the types described above) may be programmed and
adapted to perform the various functions of systems in accordance
with examples of this invention.
[0026] Additional aspects of this invention relate to manners in
which product grades, systems, and methods in accordance with this
invention may be used, e.g., to design a product or its
manufacturing method and/or to redesign or modify a product and/or
its manufacturing method. Such methods may include methods for
producing a product that include: (a) determining an initial
product grade for an initial product made using a first product
manufacturing process, wherein the product grade provides a measure
of environmental or ecological aspects of at least one of the
initial product or the first manufacturing process, and wherein the
initial product grade is based, at least in part, on at least two
members selected from the group consisting of: a type of toxic
material used in making the product, a type of waste created in
making the product, an amount of toxic material used in making the
product, a type of environmentally preferred material(s) used in
making the product, an amount of waste created in making the
product, an amount of environmentally preferred material(s) used in
making the product, and an extent to which the product or its
manufacturing methods provide an advance over similar conventional
or existing products and/or their manufacturing methods; (b)
changing at least one aspect of the first product or the first
manufacturing process to improve the environmental or ecological
aspects; and (c) making a final product using the changed aspect of
the product and/or its manufacturing process, wherein the final
product has an improved product grade as compared to the initial
product grade. These aspects of the invention further may include
marking the improved product grade on the product or packaging for
the product, e.g., in any of the various manners described above.
As noted above, aspects of this invention may be applied to a wide
variety of different products and the like.
[0027] In view of the foregoing general description, a more detail
description follows of various specific examples of grading methods
and systems according to this invention, as well as their use.
While the specific examples generally relate to production of
footwear or apparel, those skilled in the art will understand that
aspects of this invention can be extended to other products.
II. Description of Specific Examples of Product Grading Methods and
Systems According to this Invention
[0028] Specific examples of the invention now will be described in
more detail in conjunction with the attached figures. Those skilled
in the art will understand, however, that these specific examples
merely illustrated potential features and characteristics of the
invention and do not limit the invention.
[0029] In accordance with aspects of this invention, consumer
products generally can be classified into two major classes,
namely, products that include (or have been modified to include)
improved ecological and/or environmental characteristics (or have
at least been designed with their ecological and/or environmental
impact in mind) and other products. Various concrete steps may be
taken in product design and/or its manufacturing method to improve
its ecological and/or environment characteristics and/or impact.
For example, products that are made using lower amounts of toxic
materials (such as solvents, carcinogens, etc., during product
manufacture) and/or using more ecologically and/or environmentally
friendly materials (e.g., less corrosive or severe solvents,
water-based solvents v. organic solvents, etc.) during the
manufacturing process may be considered improvements over products
made using larger amounts of toxic materials and/or more harsh
materials.
[0030] Other major ecological and/or environmental factors that may
be considered in systems and methods according to examples of this
invention relate to waste generated during manufacturing processes
of consumer products. Products and manufacturing processes that
generate less waste (and/or more easily handle-able waste) may be
considered an improvement over products and/or manufacturing
processes that generate large amounts of waste or waste materials
that require special handling.
[0031] Additional factors that may be considered in evaluating a
product's overall ecological and/or environmental impact relate to
the type(s) of materials that make up the product itself. Certain
materials, whether raw materials included as part of the product or
used in making the product, are simply more environmentally
friendly than others (or have a lesser degree of adverse impact on
the environment). For example, the product may be designed to use
recycled, renewable, or regenerated materials. Therefore, designing
and producing products having an increased amount of
"environmentally friendly" or "environmentally preferred" materials
and/or manufacturing methods (as compared to similar existing or
conventional materials and/or methods) may be seen as an
improvement in the product design and/or its manufacture over
products that use all "new" materials.
[0032] Still additional features relating to the environmental
and/or ecological impact of a product relate to the product design
and/or the design of its manufacturing process. When environmental
and ecological impact is taken into account during product design
and design of its manufacturing process, changes to the product
and/or processes (e.g., innovations) can result in modified
products and/or processes having significantly improved ecological
and/or environmental characteristics. For example, combining
cleaning steps to save water or other cleaning materials may lead
to a significant reduction in material consumption. Such
innovations should be encouraged.
[0033] The present invention, as will be described in more detail
below, provides grading systems for products that take these (and
potentially other) environmental and/or ecological characteristics
in mind. In accordance with some examples of this invention,
products are graded based on one or more of toxic material use,
waste generation, use of environmentally friendly materials, and
development and use of innovations relating to the
environmental/ecological character of the product and/or process.
Such grading systems can provide a metric that product designers
and/or manufacturers can use in an effort to evaluate and/or
improve the ecological and/or environmental characteristics of
their products. Such grading systems also can be used by designers
and manufactures in setting "goals" in an effort to design and
produce ecological and environmentally improved products. The
grading systems also can be used by end consumers to evaluate,
compare, and contrast different products (optionally from different
manufacturers) and provide a metric to enable them to purchase more
ecologically and/or environmentally friendly products and/or to
patronize more ecologically and environmentally conscious
businesses.
[0034] The above noted portions of this example grading system are
simply some specific examples of parts or sub-parts that may be
used in grading system calculations or determinations in accordance
with this invention. Some or all of these portions may be used in a
specific grading system without departing from the invention,
and/or these various parts and/or sub-parts may be weighted
differently in various grading system calculations and/or
determinations without departing from this invention. Additional
elements or features may be included or taken into account in the
grading system calculations or determinations (e.g., in addition to
or optionally in place of one or more of the parts and/or sub-parts
described above) without departing from this invention. More
specific examples of such elements or features may include socially
responsible considerations, such as compliance with various labor
standards (e.g., paying a living wage, presence or absence of child
labor, factory working conditions, etc.); generation of a large
carbon footprint; generation and/or atmospheric release of carbon
dioxide, sulfur oxides, greenhouse gases, and/or the like;
generation and/or atmospheric release of ozone depleting chemicals;
features of the packaging for the product (e.g., presence of waste,
disposal issues, etc.); and the like.
[0035] Product grading systems in accordance with at least some
examples of this invention can be useful to challenge designers
and/or product manufacturers to develop environmentally and
ecologically friendly products without adversely impacting the
product's performance and/or aesthetic appearance. These features
or elements also can be worked into the grading system, if desired.
For example, a product may lose points in the overall grading
system if it sacrifices performance characteristics and/or
aesthetics in an effort to improve its score in other of the
environmental/ecological ways. Also, products that may get a "low
grade" in grading systems in accordance with at least some examples
of the invention may include: (a) products in which a minimal
effort is made toward using environmentally preferred materials
and/or in reducing wastes and/or toxics; (b) products that include
materials from any animal species globally listed as threatened or
endangered; (c) products that include polyvinylchlorides ("PVCs");
(d) products that include components that inhibit recyclability
(e.g., metal components in footwear); (e) products that achieve
only aesthetic improvements; and/or (f) products or manufacturing
processes in which the efforts made to improve the ecological
and/or environmental impact did not achieve the desired result.
Other characteristics of a product and/or its manufacturing process
(such as various social responsibility/"good corporate citizen"
factors) also may adversely affect the product's "grade."
[0036] One advantage of use of grading systems, e.g., of the types
of this invention, relates to the enhanced designer and/or
manufacturer "awareness" and consideration of ecological and/or
environmental issues in the design and manufacture of consumer
products. FIG. 2A illustrates the potential ecological and/or
environmental grade improvement achieved, at least in part, through
the use of grading systems of the types described above (and of the
types to be described in more detail below). Experimental tests
using an example grading system for footwear products began in
FY03. As shown in FIG. 2A, at that time, the average "grade" for a
footwear product was about 27. Continued use of the grading system,
however, heightened the ecological and/or environmental issues in
the designer's minds, which resulted in about a 200% increase in
grade score for products by FY07 (a grade of about 85). Moreover,
the use of "green" chemistry programs allowed this manufacturer to
reduce toxics consumption by about 96% by weight in making footwear
rubber. As shown in FIG. 2B, the user of an ecological and/or
environmental grading system in this test group resulted in an
increase in usage of "green" rubber (with its lower toxic levels)
by about 72% in 3 years (from FY05 to FY07).
[0037] Accordingly, grading systems of the types described above
(and to be described in more detail below) can help manufacturers
and/or designers become more aware of ecological and environmental
issues, driving them to improve the designs and manufacturing
techniques in an effort to improve their "grade."
[0038] We now turn to a more detailed analysis and description of
example grading systems in accordance with this invention. For this
specific example system, four main features or characteristic of a
product and/or its manufacturing process are evaluated, as shown in
Table 1 below:
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Example Product Grading Scheme Parameter
Practical Feature Evaluated Scoring Product Chemistry Use of
Solvents Points Waste Reduction Manufacturing Process Points Use of
Environmentally Average Material Score Points Preferred Materials
Innovations Number of Problems Solved Points TOTAL POINTS:
[0039] The total points or score for the product may be converted
to an even more general metric, such as "gold," "silver," or
"bronze" product characterizations, e.g., as shown in FIG. 3. The
appropriate numbers of points for each parameter, the weighting of
points over the various parameters, and/or the specific point
ranges for each "general" product characterization (e.g., such as
the "gold," "silver," or "bronze" product characterizations) may be
set and selected in any manner, e.g., through routine
experimentation (e.g., to provide adequate incentives without being
so difficult as to be impossible or nearly impossible to achieve
and/or too easy to achieve). Different ranges also may apply to
different types of products.
[0040] The various features of the above-noted parameters as used
in one example grading scheme in accordance with this invention
will be evaluated in more detail below.
[0041] First, in conjunction with FIG. 4, a potential scoring
scheme for the Product Chemistry Parameter (use of solvents) will
be discussed. For footwear manufacture, which is the product line
associated with this example grading system, various numbers of
points are awarded (or deducted) depending on the type(s) of
solvent used, the amount of solvents used, the process(es) and/or
number of process steps in which they are used, etc. For example,
as shown in FIG. 4, in general, a decrease in the use of volatile
organic compounds ("VOCs") will result in an increasing number of
points awarded toward the grade for this parameter. In products and
manufacturing processes in which no cements are used, 35 points are
awarded in this example grading system. Products and processes that
use 100% water-based or hot melt materials are awarded 25 points in
this grading system. Products and methods that use water-based
adhesives and primers with a solvent wash are awarded 10 points in
this grading system. Products and processes that use water-based
adhesives but solvent-based primers and solvent washes are awarded
only 5 points in this example grading system. Finally, 5 points are
deducted from the sub-score of products and processes that use
solvent-based adhesives, primers, and washes in this example
grading system.
[0042] FIG. 5 illustrates an example solvent usage worksheet that
can help footwear designers and/or manufacturers evaluate and
consider where solvents might be used in footwear product processes
and/or how or where the use of such solvents may be modified or
avoided. Use of this type of worksheet during the design phase can
help designers design around the use of volatile chemicals at
various points in the manufacturing processes and make them more
aware of the scoring or grading at the various potential steps in
the footwear production process. This awareness can help designers
think more creatively of ways to eliminate and/or reduce usage of
volatile organics.
[0043] Other features of a shoe design and/or its manufacturing
process also may affect the Product Chemistry Parameter. As
illustrated in FIG. 5, the use of solvent based paint on the
midsole and/or other portions of the footwear structure (such as
impact-attenuating elements) in this example grading system results
in a deduction of 5 points. Other product features may result in a
Product Chemistry Parameter score addition or subtraction,
depending on the ecological and/or environmental impact of that
product feature and its desired importance (or weight) in the
overall grading system.
[0044] Additionally or alternatively, if desired, the overall
average weight of solvents used per pair of shoes (optionally also
taking into consideration the type of solvent) may be used, at
least in part, as an element in determining the value to be
assigned for the Product Chemistry Parameter.
[0045] Next, scoring relating to the type and/or amount of (or
reduction in the amount of) waste material generated during the
manufacturing process in this example grading system will be
discussed in conjunction with FIG. 6. Waste may be generated at
various different parts of the manufacturing process and/or with
the manufacture of many different parts of a footwear structure.
Efficient use of the base material and/or manufacturing efficiency
are some ways of evaluating waste. For example, in ascertaining the
amount of waste generated in a footwear production method, one may
consider one or more of: (a) upper pattern efficiency (e.g., what
percentage of the upper blank is used in the final product or
thrown out); (b) midsole construction (e.g., how much material is
cut away and/or thrown out); (c) sockliner construction (e.g., how
much material is cut away and/or thrown out); (d) use of high
frequency ("HF") welding techniques; and/or (e) tooling
efficiency.
[0046] The following table illustrates one example of scoring
relating to waste material in the grading system in accordance with
this example of the invention:
TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Waste Parameter Grading Waste Worksheet
MIDSOLE (30% of total Waste score) 30 pts total No Midsole Used 30
pts DP/DU-Direct Phylon or Unit sole 30 pts CMP/CMU-Direct Pre-form
25 pts IP, IU or PU 20 pts CMP or CMU w/IP Pre-form 20 pts PP-PU/PH
Interlock 15 pts DH-Dual Hardness Phylon 15 pts CMP w/Buffed Sheet
Stock Pre-form 0 pts EV-Buffed EVA Sheet Stock 0 pts M/S &O/S
TOOLING Reduce total tooling use of model 5 pts Re-use tooling 5
pts UPPER (60% of total score) 60 pts total 75-80% pattern
efficiency or greater 60 pts 70-75% pattern efficiency 30 pts
65-70% pattern efficiency 20 pts 60-65% pattern efficiency 10 pts
55-60% pattern efficiency 0 pts <55% pattern efficiency or less
-5 pts SOCKLINER(10% of total score) 10 pts total Single Layer Foam
10 pts DECORATION HF Welding -5 pts TOTAL WASTE SCORE Add it up
xxx/100
[0047] The total waste sub-score (30% of which is based on midsole
features, 60% of which is based on upper features, and 10% of which
is based on sockliner features, with potential deductions for
various other features, such as the inclusion of high frequency
welding steps) then may be used to determine the value for the
Waste Parameter to be used in this example grading system and
method. For example, the total waste score from the Table above is
evaluated based on the information contained in FIG. 6 in this
example grading system and method to determine the Waste Parameter
score. As shown in FIG. 6, a total waste score of 85 or more (up to
a maximum of 100) results in a 30 point Waste Parameter score. A
total waste score of 60-80 results in a 20 point Waste Parameter
score. Likewise, a total waste score between 50 and 55 results in a
10 point Waste Parameter score, and a total waste score between 5
and 45 results in a 5 point Waste Parameter score. A total waste
score lower than 5 will result in a -5 point Waste Parameter
score.
[0048] Additionally or alternatively, if desired, the actual amount
(or average amount) of waste per pair of shoes may be considered in
determining the value to be used for the Waste Parameter score.
Other features and aspects of the waste also may be taken into
account in determining the total waste score and/or the Waste
Parameter score, such as waste shipping or other waste handling
costs.
[0049] Next, the presence or absence of environmentally preferred
materials in a footwear structure will be evaluated for determining
an Environmentally Preferred Material ("EPM") Parameter score in
this example grading system and method. Different environmentally
preferred materials will be worth different amounts of points
(different weighting). The "better" the material, the more it is
worth. For example, if a manufactured article uses an
environmentally preferred rubber (e.g., in a shoe) the article may
get a certain number of points (e.g., 11 points), if the article
uses recycled laces it may get another number of points (e.g., 2
points), etc. In general, the Environmentally Preferred Material
Parameter score in this example grading system may constitute the
total sum of the EPM points for the product (the total number of
EPMs in the product or the total number of individual EPM parts or
pieces divided by the total number of different materials in the
product or the percentage of EPMs in the overall product). More
particularly, this example Environmentally Preferred Material
Parameter score may be calculated as follows:
Total Sum E P M Points in product No . Unique Materials in the
product 100 = Raw E P M Score ##EQU00001##
[0050] Using FIG. 7, the Raw EPM score is converted to the
Environmentally Preferred Material Parameter score. In this example
grading system, a Raw EPM Score of 100 or greater will result in an
Environmentally Preferred Material Parameter score of 35. A Raw EPM
Score of 85-99 will result in an Environmentally Preferred Material
Parameter score of 25. Likewise, a Raw EPM Score of 70-84 will
result in an Environmentally Preferred Material Parameter score of
10, and a Raw EPM Score of 1-69 will result in an Environmentally
Preferred Material Parameter score of 5. The presence of no
environmentally preferred materials in the footwear structure of
this example grading system and method will result in a -5
Environmentally Preferred Material Parameter score. These ranges
may be adjusted, the number of ranges, and/or the number of points
awarded for a given range may be adjusted without departing from
this invention. Additional factors may be taken into consideration,
such as the weight percentage of EPMs in the product, the specific
types of EPMs in the product, etc.
[0051] Many materials may be considered "environmentally preferred
materials" without departing from this invention. For example,
easily recyclable, recycled, or regenerated materials may be
considered as "environmentally preferred materials." Use of
biodegradable materials (yet wear resistant, e.g., not hard
plastics) also may be considered environmentally preferred. As
additional examples, use of renewable materials (such as bamboo,
organic cotton, etc.) may be considered "environmentally
preferred," as may the use of chemically optimized materials (e.g.,
environmentally preferred rubber, made with a minimal or reduced
amount of VOC's etc.).
[0052] Also, any desired part(s) of the product may be made from
environmentally preferred materials without departing from this
invention. For footwear, this may include, for example, portions of
the upper interior lining, the stroebel, reinforcing or stiffening
materials, the sockliner, the counter, the midsole, the outsole,
impact-attenuating materials, the upper exterior, etc.
[0053] Innovation in the product design and/or the manufacturing
process also may be "rewarded" in grading systems in accordance
with examples of the invention (called the "Innovations Parameter
score" below). For example, the number of "problems" solved may be
evaluated for a given product and/or its manufacturing process, and
this number may be used in determining the Innovations Parameter
score. As shown in FIG. 8, solving three problems results in an
Innovations Parameter score of 30. Solving two problems results in
an Innovations Parameter score of 20, and solving one problem
results in an Innovations Parameter score of 10. Becoming an early
adopter of newly developed technology that favorably impacts
ecological and/or environmental characteristics of a product or
process also can gain an Innovations Parameter score of 5 points in
this example grading system.
[0054] Various features may be included and considered in compiling
the Innovations Parameter score without departing from this
invention. For example, products and processes that generate little
or no waste, that re-use or re-purpose existing materials, designs,
or machinery, that use existing packaging, and/or that reduce or
eliminate packaging all together, or other features may be
considered "innovative" for purposes of this parameter and scoring.
Products and processes that have simplified or reduced construction
or assembly, require use of less energy, and/or require use of less
water may be considered "innovations" for purposes of this
parameter and scoring. As still additional examples, recyclability,
ease of disassembly, compostability, and use of single fibers
and/or polymers (to enable easy recycling) may be consider
innovative for purposes of this parameter and this scoring system
and method. Products and processes that use local source vendors
and/or local manufacturing facilities also may be considered
innovations (given the shipping, time, fuel consumption, and energy
savings involved). Products that are multifunctional, durable, and
have a long life span also may be considered innovative for this
scoring parameter. Other innovations also are possible without
departing from this invention.
[0055] Once the various Parameter scores are determined (e.g., from
Table 1, determined as described above), the total Product Score or
grade then may be determined e.g., by adding the individual
parameter scores together--i.e., by adding the Product Chemistry
Parameter, the Waste Parameter, the Environmentally Preferred
Material Parameter, and the Innovations Parameter scores as
described above in this example system and method. If desired,
weighting factors may be applied to further control the influence
of the various parameters on the overall Product Score. This total
score (which can be considered the product grade) also may be
evaluated for "gold," "silver," "bronze," or "no" status, e.g.,
using the evaluation parameters shown in FIG. 9. More specifically,
in this example grading system, "gold" status is awarded to
products achieving a total product grade of at least 80 points.
"Silver" status is awarded to products achieving a total product
grade of 35-79 points, and "bronze" status is awarded to products
achieving a total product grade of 20-34 points. No ecological or
environmentally improved status is awarded in this grading system
and method to products having a total product grade of less than 20
points.
[0056] Aspects of this invention extend beyond footwear product
grading. Rather, a suitable grading system may be developed for any
desired type of product, using any desired parameters and/or
combinations of parameters, without departing from this invention.
Additionally, if desired, the various ranges and endpoints thereof
for determining the various parameters and scores may be adjusted
without departing from this invention.
III. Conclusion
[0057] While the invention has been described in detail in terms of
specific examples including presently preferred modes of carrying
out the invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that
there are numerous variations and permutations of the above
described systems and methods. Thus, the spirit and scope of the
invention should be construed broadly as set forth in the appended
claims.
* * * * *